Life-saving apparatus



Dec. 2, 1924. 1,517,745

A H. MoRLl-:Y

LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l Dec. z, 1924.

H. MORLEY LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES HAROLD MORLEY, OF SALE, NEAR MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

Application led August 14, 1925'. Serial No. 657,371.

To all zii/10171, it 72mg/ concern Be it known that I, HAROLD MORLEY, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Sale, near Manchester, England, have. invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Life- Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-saving apparatus and has for its object the utilization of seats, beds and the like made of india-rubber according to my co-pending application for Letters Patent No. 584,709 A. D. 1929. to form rafts capable of floating and supporting persons or objects in the water.

The invention is primarily directed to the conversion of mattresses for ships bunks made according to said co-pending application for patent to serve the dual purpose and according to the present invention such mattresses or seats, couches and the like are provided with an allaround frame which is preferably formed of stout webbing embedded in the indiarubber and having attached thereto a series of swivelling snap hooks or the like by means of which a number of such articles may be connected together to form one large raft or by means of which they may be secured to a towrope or the like.

In addition to, or instead of the allaround frame, the mattresses or the like may be enclosed by a framework of webbing which is readily secured in place by tie members passing through the tubular tie members connecting the top and botton surfaces of the mattress or the like together.

rlhe invention will be more particularly described by the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is an elevation, and

Fig. 2 a plan view of a combined mattress and life saving apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation on the line 3, 3, Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan View in section of one corner of the mattress.

Fig. 4 a side view of a swivel hook used with the mattress.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the method of connecting four mattresses together, and

'F ig. 6 is a plan view showing a modified form of the invention.

In carrying the invention into effect ac cording toone convenient manner as illustrated in Figures l to 4, and as adapted for the dual purpose of the mattress for a ships bunk and a lifesaving apparatus, the mattress or mattress case c is formed of india-rubber, preferably in one piece. with a number of india-rubber tubes formed integrally with the case a and spaced at the desired distance apart, said tubes forming ties or binders between the upper and lower walls of the mattress and the length of each tube or tie Z) being such as to resist the undue inflation or enlargement of the mattress and thereby preserve its shape. Embedded in the india-rubber around the edge of the mattress, or secured thereto by suitable cement, is a piece of strong webbing c to which is attached, at each of the four corners, a ring d or swivel snap hook d1. p

Cross bands of webbing, or a covering of netting e are provided which may be connected to the all-around webbing c and which may be connected to the surface of the mattress by means of tie members f passing through the before mentioned tubular ties or binders, said members or netting forming convenient means for persons to cling to the raft or for attaching articles thereto.

Secured to the webbing o and equally spaced around the same are metal hooks or loops g through which is threaded, or on which is carried the rope or cord which forms a convenient hand hold. The co-rners of the mattress are strengthened by means of corner pieces z' o-f canvas or leather, and as shown in Figure 5 four mattresses may be connected together at the corners, the snap fastenings or rings d being shown gripped by a clip It will be understood that the snap hooks ai or the like may be attached to the mattress or like article in various ways for instance they may be secured at opposite ends of bands 7c, see Figure 6, passing right through the mattress so that the pull on each of a complemental pair of snap hooks would be taken by the band to which they are connected and not by the body of the mattress, so that the liability for the latter to become torn or damaged is eliminated or reduced to a minimum.

What I claim is z- Life saving apparatus, comprising in combination, an inflatable rubber mattress, provided With through tubes spaced at the desired distances apart to form tie members, the tubes and mattress being moulded in one piece, an all-around band of Webbing embedded in the rubber, means connected to said webbing at each corner of the mattress to connect a number of mattresses together to form a raft, metal hooks secured to said webbing, equally spaced 10 In testimony whereof l have signed my l) name to this specification.

HAROLD MORLEY. 

